1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cladding systems and more particularly to ceiling systems and wall coverings for building structures. The system may be a sectional or in some instances cellular system and can in some embodiments be expanded and retracted across a wall or an overlying ceiling structure.
2. Description of the Known Art
Ceilings or walls for building structures take many different forms that can be as basic as wood panels or drywall to, in the case of ceilings, more elaborate designer-type ceilings. Designer-type ceilings may consist of metal or plastic tubes, strips, panels, sheets of fabric or the like, which are interconnected in various forms and configurations to obtain a desired aesthetic effect. Such designer systems are typically reserved for commercial establishments. Between the two above-noted extremes are ceiling systems commonly referred to as drop ceilings which incorporate a grid work of interconnected metal support strips defining shelves on which insulating panels are removably seated. Such systems are commonly found in both commercial and residential establishments and are desirable for many reasons which include aesthetics, sound absorption, heat insulation and the fact that the panels are removable to access the ceiling structure above the ceiling system and any utilities such as plumbing, ventilation or electrical that may be found above the ceiling system.
Drywall ceilings, while being one of the most common ceilings found in building structures, have the drawback of being very inflexible and also very plain from an aesthetic standpoint. In order to access the space above a drywall ceiling, holes must be cut in the drywall or the drywall itself removed which can be an expensive process considering replacement. The designer-type systems are also more permanent in nature even though providing a greater variety of aesthetics but have the drawback of being difficult and accordingly expensive to remove and replace in order to repair plumbing, electrical or other such utilities that might be found in the ceiling structure.
Drop ceilings have the advantage of providing accessibility to the space thereabove but are very limited from an aesthetic standpoint and further, access to the space above the drop ceiling is only available through relatively small openings provided in the supporting grid work of the system.
It is to overcome the shortcomings in prior art ceiling systems that the present invention has been developed.
The cladding system of the present invention consists of a panel or panels that are sectional so as to provide a variety of aesthetics. The sections in the panels may be joined along articulated lines of joinder so that an entire panel comprised of a plurality of sections can be expanded or retracted to either cover or selectively expose a wall or an overlying ceiling structure. The sections in a panel may be cellular and may thereby form a honeycomb-type panel and the materials from which the panels are made may vary between being rigid, flexible, hard, soft, flat, reflective and the like. It will, therefore, be appreciated that various aesthetics can be obtained by varying the structure of the sections or through the materials from which the panels are made.
The panels can be supported with side rails extending along each side of the panel while not requiring crossrails so that when a panel is used in a ceiling system and retracted from its expanded condition beneath a ceiling structure, generous access is provided to the ceiling structure for repair or other work on utilities such as plumbing, electrical and the like that are found embedded in ceiling structures. Intermediate rails, parallel to the side rails, can also be provided, if necessary, to support a panel along intermediate portions thereof or between adjacent panels. The supporting rails for the panels can take on numerous configurations so as to support the panels in varied ways depending to some degree upon the particular panel construction being utilized.
Other aspects, features and details of the present invention can be more completely understood by reference to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the drawings.